April 18, 2022

April 18, 2022

How To Tell If Your Student And Online Teacher Are Compatible

While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it many changes, not all of them have been bad changes. When it comes to online learning, for example, students now have more choices than ever for quality online education.

But while the majority of educators are passionate about teaching, online or in person, sometimes an online teacher simply isn’t a good fit for a student. In those instances of questionable student-teacher compatibility, many questions probably come to mind. The most important is how to tell if your student and online teacher are compatible – or not!

Read on for all you need to know to answer the question: How do I choose an online tutor?

Signs Your Student And Teacher Aren’t Compatible
If you’re wondering how to tell if your student simply isn’t compatible with their online teacher, you’re not alone. After all, understanding there’s a problem is the first step to fixing it, right?

The first step is to look for signs from your student that things simply aren’t going well. Many of the things you can observe for in-person teaching apply to online teaching or tutoring as well, so the signs are somewhat universal even across different platforms. Keep an eye out for:

  • Not wanting to talk about school – If your child used to love to tell you about what they were learning or even what challenges they were facing at school, and now have suddenly changed how they talk about it with you, then that’s something to be concerned about. Something may not be right if they simply don’t want to discuss school with you in any capacity anymore, or even if the conversations are just limited to the things they’re struggling with.
  • Change in overall attitude about school – To some degree, especially as kids get older, their outlook on school may change. But a major change in their attitude about school that seems to come on suddenly may indicate a problem. Children who are angry or distant about what they’re learning are trying to tell you in their own way that they aren’t happy with their learning environment or experience. This might indicate that there’s a problem with their online teacher.
  • Problems eating or sleeping – Children who are worrying about something may have difficulty sleeping or eating like they normally would. This can be especially true if they’re having problems keeping up with work at school or with the subject matter they’re learning through their online tutor.
  • Expressing concern – If your child’s tutor or online teacher contacts you to express concern, you’ll have to assess whether or not the current situation is working for your child. It’s not necessarily anything against the teacher or the tutor; sometimes people simply don’t click, and that could be the case here.
  • Misbehaving – If your child acting out when they are in online classes or with the tutor, something else might be going on that warrants further investigation.

What Are The Qualities Of A Good Virtual Online Teacher?
You may be able to head off some of the problems above with a discerning eye when you’re first finding an online tutor for your child. Prioritizing certain qualities in a teacher or tutor will lead you in the right direction. You should make sure to look for the following qualities:

  • They have a passion for the subject – Some teachers are very passionate about what they teach and it shows. Even online instructors can convey a passion for the material they’re teaching.
  • They’re passionate about the profession – Aside from being passionate about a certain subject, it’s also a good idea to look for a teacher who is passionate about teaching as a whole. Students are looking for mentors on some level, and every teacher is a potential mentor. Your student will feel inspired if they can tell that the teacher loves to teach and has their learning as top priority.
  • They see value in online interactions – Another important thing to look for in an online teacher is that they see value in the online platform. Some teachers simply can’t translate what they do in person to the online classroom, but others thrive in a virtual environment.
  • They manage time well – Online teachers don’t have to be online 24/7 to be good, but they should be able to demonstrate that they can manage time well. They’ll do this by having a consistent schedule that makes them available to students.
  • They’re open to feedback – A good teacher will always be open to constructive feedback to help them constantly improve. Plus, it helps students to feel like they have a real impact on the way they learn.
  • They’re trained – It’s a major plus to find a teacher who has specific training in online teaching platforms or has extensive experience themselves as an online student.

What Should I Look For When Looking For An Online Tutor?
So, what should you look for in an online tutor? There are a few more general things that are vital to look for, including:

  • A tutor who helps with goals – One of the reasons to reach out to an online tutor is to get help with specific goals. Find an online tutor who is a specialist in what you’re looking for and can help your student with specific goals they’ve set.
  • A tutor with a lot of experience – Once you know the specialization of the tutor you need, now it’s time to find someone who offers quality services. One way to tell the quality is by the experience they have tutoring children online in different subjects.
  • A tutor with the right availability – In order to be the right tutor for your child, they have to be available at the right times. Be sure to choose a tutor that will be convenient for your family’s schedule.
  • A tutor who works well with others – You can find out a lot about potential tutors online, so do your research. Check out reviews and testimonials for insights into how each potential teacher works with students and parents.

Compatibility is a major thing for online learning. If your student and their teacher or online tutor don’t mix, it’ll be an unsuccessful experience for everyone. Take the tips mentioned here into account as you search and you’ll be sure to find the best tutor or online teacher you can for your child.

Featured image by Steinar Engeland on Unsplash